H.R. 6777, Settlement Agreement Information Database Act of 2018

Summary

H.R. 6777 would establish new requirements for the public disclosure of settlement agreements entered into by federal agencies. Specifically, the legislation would require that the text of such agreements be posted online. Under the bill, each posted settlement would include a copy of the agreement, the names of the parties involved, a description of the claims settled, the amount to be paid and to whom it was paid, the length of the agreement, and how the agreement came about. In addition, H.R. 6777 would require the agencies to report on any agreements that are confidential and the reasoning for that arrangement.

CBO estimates that enacting H.R. 6777 would have no significant effect on the federal budget because most of the required information is already collected during the settlement process and the cost of making it available online would not be significant.

Enacting H.R. 6777 could affect direct spending by some agencies (such as the Tennessee Valley Authority) that are authorized to use receipts from the sale of goods, fees, and other collections to cover their operating costs; therefore, pay-as-you-go procedures apply. Because most of those agencies can adjust the amounts collected, CBO estimates that any net changes in direct spending by those agencies would be negligible. Enacting the bill would not affect revenues.

CBO estimates that enacting H.R. 6777 would not significantly increase net direct spending or on-budget deficits in any of the four consecutive 10-year periods beginning in 2029.

H.R. 6777 contains no intergovernmental or private-sector mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act.